Disabled rights advocates seek end to
corporate parking violation fine discounts
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined disability activists to call for the passage of Intro. 1141 at City
Hall on Nov. 29.
BY DEAN MOSES
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined disabled
individuals outside City Hall on Nov. 29 to push for
the passage of a bill that would eliminate parking
fi ne discounts for mega corporations.
The legislation (Intro. 1141) would prohibit any city agency
from agreeing to reduce parking violation fi nes in exchange for
a waiver of the right to contest parking violations. Additionally,
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
it would require any fi ne dismissal (other than a specifi c technical
reason) to be reviewed in a hearing and include a written
determination by an administrative law judge.
According to Michael Schweinsburg of the 504 Democratic
Club, New York City elected offi cials often rally behind
the injustices of the Big Apple, but rarely do they stand
behind the needs of the disabled. However, Schweinsburg
lauded Williams on Monday afternoon for speaking up for
a minority group who seldom gets a voice.
“We have endorsed this bill and have been fi ghting
four years now,” Schweinsburg said, pointing out that the
holiday season unleashes fl eets of delivery trucks on almost
every New York City street for the next few weeks.
“Imagine if you’re disabled. If you’re lucky enough to
have a disability parking placard it is useless because you
can’t either get to your parking spot, or having found one,
you can’t leave because you’re blocked by one of these
trucks. Now for the 100,000 Access-A-Ride drivers, you
depend on Access-A-Ride to leave them safely curbside, but
it becomes nearly impossible for them to do so. And why is
that? Because of a proposal that did not garner the approval
of the city council, yet was enacted anyway by the Department
of Finance. It’s called the stipulated buying program.
The very companies that benefi ted from the reduction in
fi nes are the mega rich companies that during the pandemic
received enormous windfall profi ts. Companies like UPS,
FedEx, Amazon, etc.,” Schweinsburg said.
Sponsored by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and
38 other elected offi cials, Schweinsburg and Williams want
the City Council to pass this legislation that would expand
curbside access for Access-A-Ride and individuals with
disabilities.
Williams believes that Into. 1141 has been left languishing
in the City Council for far too long now, and it’s time
to lift the burden.
“Not only are you blocking New Yorkers from being able
to access the curb, being able to actually go somewhere,
you are overburdening New Yorkers who are from the
disabled community,” Williams said.
Ceiling collapse in four-alarm Yorkville
blaze leaves four firefighters injured
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
The FDNY is investigating a four-alarm blaze that
broke out in a Yorkville restaurant on Tuesday
morning.
According to fi re department offi cials, a call regarding
a fi re at Dragon One, located at 1843 1st Ave., at 5 a.m.
on Nov. 30. Responding units forced their way into the
restaurant, where they encountered heavy smoke and heat
conditions on the fi rst fl oor of the building.
The fi re had broken out in the back of the restaurant,
expanding to the front and up to the third fl oor. A ceiling
collapsed onto fi refi ghters on the fi rst fl oor, injuring
four FDNY members. Two were taken to Cornell Medical
Center and two of them were transported to St. Luke’s
Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Assistant Deputy Chief Michael Gala stated that the
old building had many void spaces. The cause of the fi re
is under investigation.
“Our members got very lucky battling a tough fi re. This
could of turned out worse after the collapse. The members
did a tremendous job,” said Gala.
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell PHOTO BY LLOYD MITCHELL
Schneps Mediia December 2, 2021 3